Cane Hill Surprise With Acoustic, Stripped-Back Piece, ‘Kill The Sun’

‘Kill The Sun’ is the type of Cane Hill I can get behind.

When it comes to Cane Hill’s self-titled EP and their debut LP, ‘Smile‘, I could not give less of a fuck about either, quite frankly. However, a new leaf was turned over for me when it comes to the music that this New Orleans outfit makes due to this year’s solid second offering, ‘Too Far Gone‘. Their well-rounded sophomore full-length was a fittingly ugly, beastly, riffy and heavy affair, nicely showing off their growing song-writing strengths too. With the lovely, pretty-sounding change of pace of new single ‘Kill The Sun‘, however, we get something very different from the Cane Hill camp.

Normally, most Cane Hill tracks are something that you mosh or head bang to; rarely ever sounding and feeling like these contemplative, emotional pieces that slowly wash over you. Yet that’s exactly what this new song is, thus blooming into a surprising, delicate piece that’s really quite unexpected for the band’s usual shtick. Not once does it ever come close to stepping foot into the American band’s usual 90s-flavoured nu-metalcore/hard-rock sound, and it’s all the better because of it.

The closest thing in Cane Hill’s discography that this newest cut sounds anything remotely like is ‘Singing In The Swamp‘, and even then, that comparison is a big stretch. For this single is something so much more dynamic and intimate than what we’ve seen from this group’s norm, truly making this new release a refreshing take! For instance, frontman Elijah Witt further explores his genuinely dulcet singing range and pulls it all off beautifully, giving his best vocal performance yet. The smoothed-out electro sub-kicks perfectly suit this track’s moody undercurrent well-enough, keeping things minimal in terms of percussive elements. Because just above that bedrock, soft acoustic guitar chords and clam electric guitar licks lull you deeper into this song’s depressive, moving atmosphere. All whilst bittersweet lyrics talk about once-happy memories fading and turning rotten; to knowingly revel in pain and isolation, covering up all exits to hide within oneself, to “kill the sun” as it were. In short, I’m a big fan of ‘Kill The Sun‘!

And don’t worry, for those who wanted something darker and more aggressive, I’m sure these guys have plenty of air-tight grooves and heavy riffs locked and loaded for 2019 when they drop their next EP, ‘Kill The Sun‘, on January 18th via Rise Records.